


Color Theory

by magicmars



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25603195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicmars/pseuds/magicmars
Summary: From the day that they're born, everyone sees in black and white. Kids grow up learning in school how to tell colors apart by what shade of gray they are. Everyone longs to one day see the world as it really is - but the only way to let color pour in is to touch your soulmate for the first time.Submit writing requests at my Tumblr: https://m4gicmars.tumblr.com/
Relationships: Ana Amari & Reinhardt Wilhelm, Ana Amari/Reinhardt Wilhelm, Brigitte Lindholm & Hana "D.Va" Song, Brigitte Lindholm/Hana "D.Va" Song, Jean-Baptiste Augustin/Lúcio Correia dos Santos/Genji Shimada, Jesse McCree & Hanzo Shimada, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Junkrat | Jamison Fawkes & Roadhog | Mako Rutledge, Junkrat | Jamison Fawkes/Roadhog | Mako Rutledge, Lena "Tracer" Oxton/Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Moira O'Deorain & Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Moira O'Deorain/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes & Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 5
Kudos: 98





	1. Red

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Their Favourite Colours Were](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18334778) by [nival_kenival](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nival_kenival/pseuds/nival_kenival), [NotAWerewolf42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAWerewolf42/pseuds/NotAWerewolf42). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Angela Ziegler finds herself getting a little too frustrated with her work, until Dr. Moira O'Deorain intervenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: Mercy (Angela Ziegler) x Moira O'Deorain  
> TW: Mention of minor injury/blood in this chapter.

Angela led a life that many others envied her for. At the age of 28, she was one of Overwatch's poster girls - serving as a combat medic under the moniker "Mercy". She was a household name by this point, having served at Overwatch for many years now, and practically everyone knew who she was. She was widely praised for her work, and for the more altruistic approach she took when dealing with the chaos unfolding around her on the battlefield. Above everything else - she was a physically attractive person - at least, that's what she heard at least 10 times a day from civilians who would nonchalantly approach her and attempt to flirt with her - lots of older looking men attempting to steal away the slightest brush of a hand to see if maybe, just maybe, they were destined for each other. Most people would want to be in Angela's shoes. So, why did she still feel incomplete?

Well, because she was - she herself hadn't found the one meant for her yet, and so her world was still various tones of gray from head to toe. She knew deep down that not everyone finds their soulmate in their lifetime, and that several people spend their entire lives without any color to speak of before they pass on. Growing up, that was always her number one fear - having to spend the rest of her life as she knows it not being able to enjoy the world around her. Many of her Overwatch colleagues had already found their other half, and would describe the wonders of the colorful world to her as well as they could - her commanding officer Jack Morrison often raved on about the incredulous rays of orange that would beam down from the sky while the sun was setting out on the horizon; her loose acquaintance and cowboy outlaw Jesse McCree would depict the majestic waves of blue in the ocean beyond Gibraltar; her good friend and long time father-figure Reinhardt Wilhelm would loudly proclaim his love for the color brown and how unappreciated it is when it is a foundation of nature itself. As much as Angela loved hearing the stories from everyone around her, she wanted to be able to experience it herself.

The day had been moving at an agonizingly slow pace as Angela was hunched over her work station. She painstakingly keyed in another line of code to enhance the performance of her nanites she'd spent months perfecting. Her hope was that once the nanites were operating at maximum levels, she'd be able to incorporate them into a staff-like prototype she'd asked Torbjörn to help her engineer, and have them deploy as a stream that would rapidly heal peoples injuries. She had dubbed her prototype the Caduceus Staff, and the nanites were to serve as the miracle remedy that would power it. She finished entering the new code and turned back to the nanite samples at her station, which were already adapting to the new changes she had just introduced. She took a small vial of nanites in her hand and watched as it began to glow, the light it emitted becoming stronger with each passing moment, only for it to suddenly stop and revert back to the original dull state. She let out a deep sigh and unceremoniously tossed the vial down on to her desk, its glass casing shattering and the nanites spilling out. Angela let herself fall to the floor and grumbled various Swiss curses under her breath. She was so caught up in her frustration that she didn't hear the laboratory doors swing open and shut once more.

"Ziegler, what's gotten into you?" The vaguely-accented voice came from across the room. Angela perked her head up long enough to see the tall woman towering over her small figure, which was curled up on the floor in desperation. "What's this mess you've made? Your keyboard is going to be ruined, and you know those things aren't chea-"

"Dr. O'Deorain. Please. I just... need a moment to compose myself." Angela took a deep breath before quickly rising off the ground and recomposing herself. She walked across the room, her heels clacking against the tiled floor, to grab some paper towels. She began the short journey back to her desk to clean up the puddle of nanites. "I apologize you had to find me like this."

The older woman shrugged down at her and rolled her eyes. "Breakthroughs hardly happen in a day, you know."

Angela just sighed and began lightly dabbing at the dampened area on her desk with paper towels, forgetting about the tiny shards of glass scattered around it as well. She began poking at the smaller spaces between the individual keys of her keyboard when a particularly sharp piece of glass that was sticking up out of the keyboard jabbed her hand, causing Angela to yelp in surprise. She instinctively pulled her hand back and removed the glass, revealing a decently-sized cut. "Verdammt." She began turning around to go fetch a first-aid kit when she was abruptly stopped.

"You see now that our actions have consequences," began Dr. O'Deorain, "and the consequence of you destroying things like a child is getting injured." She chuckled softly before taking Angela's hand into her own gloved hand, examining the cut. "I would've expected you to be more careful, Ziegler."

"I don't want to hear it. Just let me bandage myself up and I'll finish cleaning the mess I've made."

"Sit down. You've been overworking yourself today." Angela wanted to protest, but Dr. O'Deorain was already gently pulling her to her desk chair. "Stay here."

Knowing she didn't really have a choice, Angela just sighed and relaxed a bit in the chair as Dr. O'Deorain fetched a biohazard bin from across the laboratory, as well as a small, finely-bristled brush to sweep up the shards of glass. She watched as the glass was carefully extracted from her workspace and disposed of in the biohazard bin. "Try not to make a bigger mess, please. I have my desk organized in a very specific way and I'd like it to remain that way."

"You should've considered that before you tossed a fragile vial full of liquid onto it." Once all the glass was safely discarded, Dr. O'Deorain approached Angela with a damp paper towel and lightly dabbed at her cut, cleaning away the small amount of blood that had leaked out. She tossed the paper towel in the nearby trash bin and reached over into the first-aid kit she had brought over, grabbing a small bottle of antibiotic ointment. "This might sting a little," she warned as she twisted the cap off. She put a small dab of the ointment on her finger and began gently applying it over the wound.

Sting it did, and Angela shut her eyes tightly to distract herself from the sensation. Despite having had several minor injuries throughout her life, she never quite got used to the burning feeling of the ointment, but she just took a deep breath and reminded herself that it just meant the ointment was doing its job. The nice thing about it was that the stinging went away almost as suddenly as it began. Angela kept her eyes shut for a moment to help herself relax as Dr. O'Deorain removed her gloves, disposing of them in the waste bin.

Dr. O'Deorain grabbed a small bandage and placed it gently over the cut, her calloused hands lightly pressing the sides of the bandage to make sure it would stick. "Feel better yet, Ziegler?" Dr. O'Deorain took Angela's hand and held it up to the light to examine it better.

Angela, with her eyes still closed, had not initially noticed Dr. O'Deorain removing her gloves until she felt the rough skin of the older woman's hands against her own. She opened her eyes to examine the freshly bandaged wound but was instead met with something else - the first thing she noticed was the hair. The bright, red hair of the woman stood before her, and - was one of her eyes red? Angela stared wide-eyed at Dr. O'Deorain, who seemingly had not noticed the shift in the world around her just yet. "Erm... Dr. O'Deorain?"

"What is it, Ziegler?" She carefully set Angela's hand back down and looked back at the younger doctor, suddenly realizing the burst of colors around the laboratory. "I..."

"Y-you...?" Angela barely managed to whisper as she sat there, overwhelmed by the room filling with a wide variety of colors.

They both were completely still and stared at each other for what felt like ages, neither of them sure of what to think. Dr. O'Deorain pursed her lips, wanting to speak but not being able to form the words, lost in her own thoughts before Angela abruptly cut them off.

"I think I am feeling better, Dr. O'Deorain. Thank you."

"Moira."

"What?"

"Call me Moira."

Angela gave the older scientist a gentle smile. "Alright, Moira it is then. Feel free to call me Angela."

Moira rolled her eyes and jokingly scoffed, "I think I much prefer Ziegler." Both women chuckled softly before Moira revisited her previous statement, "but Angela sounds lovely as well."

*********

Angela barely made it to her laboratory the next morning when she was suddenly halted by a tiny figure that she immediately recognized as Overwatch's newest pilot, Lena 'Tracer' Oxton. "Angie, love, you've gotta tell me!"

"What?" Angela yawned the word loudly, hoping Lena understood well enough what she asked.

"You can see colors now! Tell me, tell me, tell me - what is your favorite color?" Lena looked wide-eyed at Angela with an expression that could only be described as wonder.

"Oh." The doctor thought for a quick moment before turning back to Lena with a smile forming on her lips. "I quite like red."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! This work was inspired by NotAWerewolf42's and nival_kenival's fic "Their Favourite Colours Were". I really loved their depictions and wanted to try and give it my own spin! (Also attempting to show people that I can write actual stories instead of just shitposting lmao)
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	2. Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack recollects his memory of the Halloween party from a few years prior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Orange: Soldier: 76 (Jack Morrison) x Reaper (Gabriel Reyes)

Jack had just heard the news - Angela Ziegler found her soulmate and was seeing the world in color. He congratulated the young doctor with a celebratory pat on the back, as he did to anyone who he wanted to praise. He was glad he could finally have more in-depth discussions about the world's natural beauty with her.

"You know, Angela, I can't lie... I was always skeptical about Dr. O'Deorain."

"And you think I wasn't?" Angela looked quizzically at her superior.

"She just... always came off so... cold?" Jack rubbed the back of his head, trying to find the words he wanted. "I always thought Reyes took a huge risk in bringing her on to the Blackwatch team. In fact, I thought he was a complete knucklehead."

The young doctor just shook her head and chuckled. "You still do, Jack."

"That's beside the point." Jack also laughed at her statement, a smile forming on his lips. "I see now that she genuinely makes you happy. That's all I could ask for."

"Thank you, Jack. I really appreciate it." Angela smiled towards the older man - a gesture that quickly faded away as her face brought on a new expression of mild curiosity, a question forming in her mind. "How did you find out Reyes was the one for you?"

He sat for a moment, gathering his thoughts and recollection of the event, then cleared his throat.

*********

This all took place a few years prior, at Jack's first Overwatch Halloween party since being promoted to Strike Commander. Gabriel had also recently been promoted, acting as second in command to Jack. _The Strike Commander position should've gone to Reyes, he would've fit into it much better-_ Jack cut off his thoughts. This night was meant for him to unwind and relax, not stress about his newly given position. He sighed and looked himself over in the mirror one more time - he needed to make sure every detail of his costume was perfect. He straightened out his biker jacket, making sure the spikes protruding from the shoulder blades sat upright, before kneeling down and lacing up his spiked combat boots. The bandages wrapped around his left leg were snug, not so tight that they were cutting off circulation but not so loose that they would slip off during the night. The fake nails that he attached to the bandages were not sharp in the slightest as to not genuinely injure him but still looked convincing enough for the slasher look he was trying to pull off. On his right leg, a leather holster was strapped around his thigh with a fake axe nestled inside of it. His left arm had a chain wrapped around it and his right arm had a nail cuff around his wrist. He gave himself a quick pat on the back for the job well done before turning to the table beside him and grabbing the finishing touch - the hockey mask he purposely scuffed and scratched to give it the appearance of heavy use - and rested it on his face, strapping it around the back of his head. He flicked the light switch off before exiting his dormitory and heading to the main banquet hall of the headquarters.

Jack didn't run into anyone on his way down to the banquet hall, which he attributed to the fact that he took so long to make sure every detail of his costume was perfect. He promised himself that he wouldn't be late, that he'd just throw on his costume quickly so he could arrive with everyone else - but clearly, that didn't work out for him. He let out an exasperated sigh, frustrated with himself for running late, but tried to shake off any negative emotions as he finally approached the large room which was bustling with activity.

In the background, a wide variety of music played - he wasn't really sure what the thought process was for the playlist, but trusted that all of the songs somehow pertained to Halloween. The hall was decorated with streamers and banners that Jack could only assume were black and orange. The tables were all decorated attractively with a wide array of jack-o-lanterns, each with a different expression carved into it than the last. He scanned the room, searching for familiar faces among the hundreds of agents attending. He noticed the open bar at the far end of the hall and discovered a group of other senior officers and began his approach.

"Ah, Commander Morrison! Glad to see you actually made it," Angela said with a giggle. She was dressed from head to toe in a handmade witch costume, complete with the pointy hat and crooked broomstick. The broomstick was off to the side, propped against the ledge of the bar, freeing her hand to hold a drink.

Jack just shook his head and laughed. "Please, Angela, this is a party. There's no need for formalities tonight." He looked over the doctor's attire and said with a smile that she had no possible way of seeing, "Your costume looks fantastic. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it."

Angela flashed a smile back at her colleague, out of politeness if nothing else, since she didn't know he smiled at her to begin with. "Thank you. It took quite a lot of prep, but I am very pleased with how it came out in the end."

Approaching from the other side of the bar were Reinhardt and Ana, hand in hand. Reinhardt was wearing his battle armor, except it was lazily painted a darker color - though as to what shade, Jack hadn't the slightest idea. The larger man was also sporting some facepaint to give off the illusion of a ghastly smoke. As for Ana, she was dressed as a corsair, completing the look with the symbolic eyepatch and a wooden parrot attached to her shoulder.

"Well, look who it is!" Reinhardt's voice bellowed loud enough that it could be heard from across the hall. "Glad to see you showed up, Jack!" He flashed a huge grin at Jack, completely dissipating any frightening aura he may have had before.

The overbearing enthusiasm from her partner gained a hearty laugh from Ana. "I knew he would show up. But I also knew he'd be late, despite his best efforts." She gave Jack an affirming pat on the back before finishing, "You look amazing."

"Thank you, Ana. You and Reinhardt look spectacular as well. What color is his armor supposed to be?"

"Dark blue!" Reinhardt nearly shouted in response.

The group of four laughed and chatted for a bit before being joined by two more familiar faces.

"Hey there Torb and Cowboy," Jack greeted the two enthusiastically. He scanned the two costumes before him - McCree was dressed up as Van Helsing, which meant that the costume itself probably required minimal effort from the young man, given the fact that it matched most of his cowboy attire. Torbjörn, however, clearly put more effort into his costume - he was clad in medieval Viking attire, two fake axes strapped to his back. He even braided his beard to look like how Vikings would style theirs.

"Hey there, Jack! Sorry I'm late, but SOMEONE was damn near about to start a fire!" Torbjörn scoffed, glaring at McCree. The latter just laughed and shook his head.

"Can you blame me for wanting a smoke before coming in here? So much damn commotion..." McCree flashed his signature charming smile at the group, which earned an exasperated sigh from Torbjörn.

"You could've at least gone outside and done it, you knucklehead!" Torbjörn shook his head disapprovingly.

The agents continued chatting amongst themselves, discussing a wide variety of topics - the music that played throughout the banquet hall, the silly faces carved into the jack-o-lanterns, funny moments from their most recent mission - the list goes on. After a few drinks and a lot of banter, the officers are approached by one more figure.

"Well, would you look at that? The one person who gives Jack a run for his money in terms of running late," Ana sarcastically remarked about the newest arrival.

Jack examined the figure before him, dressed in a two-toned suit with a long cloak draped off their shoulders. The costume was completed with an intricate jack-o-lantern helmet, much to the dismay of Jack, who hadn't the slightest damn idea who was stood in front of him.

"Haha, very funny, Amari. This costume took a hell of a lot of work to perfect," came the familiar husky voice from under the helmet. At the sound of the voice, Jack immediately recognized the figure before him as Gabriel.

"Reyes, you look amazing. I didn't even recognize you." Jack peeled his mask off to the side, allowing himself to breathe a bit better - at least, that's the excuse he gave himself. It definitely was not to get a better look at Gabriel.

"Thanks, Morrison. Hell, you look great too. Definitely giving me a run for my money." The two men laughed, and the group continued on.

After several hours, the party had mostly dissipated. Reinhardt and Ana were the first to depart, the former having had one too many drinks and causing quite the commotion in the banquet hall. McCree left shortly after, Torbjörn following him to make sure he wouldn't try to smoke indoors again. Angela decided to loosely trail behind them in case Torbjörn decided on a whim that he wanted to kill a man that night. That left Jack and Gabriel, who decided to exit the banquet hall and instead sit out on the foyer attached to it.

"You deserved the promotion more than me, you know," Jack began, various bits of his costume discarded to the side, including his mask and gloves. He held a drink in his hand and took another sip as he continued, "You definitely know how to control the team better than I can."

Gabriel, whose helmet, gloves, and various buckles were also shoved hastily to the side, just shook his head and let out a soft chuckle. "That's just because I scare the shit out of them."

The two men laughed at that remark before silence occupied the space once again. Jack looked up at the night sky, illuminated by the soft glow of street lights, the crisp autumn leaves floating around them as the wind picked up. He set his drink off to the side, taking in the view. It seemed like forever passed before another word was spoken.

"Besides," Gabriel added, "I like being second in command. You're a hell of a leader, Morrison. Just wish you'd see that for yourself."

Before Jack could give a proper response, the wind grew relentless and blew his glass over. "Shit," he groaned, reaching for the glass before it rolled too far away for him to grab. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gabriel also reaching for the glass. Their hands brushed together as they both grabbed the glass at the same time.

"Sorry about that," Gabriel half-chuckled during his apology. He stared off into the dark night sky, waiting for a response from Jack, which seemed to not exist. "Morrison?"

Jack was dumbfounded, his gaze lazily focused on the leaves blowing around them. Orange. They were orange. He looked beside Gabriel and saw the bright orange of his discarded helmet. He looked down at his own jacket and saw the orange accents dyed into the fabric. "Reyes. Look."

Gabriel didn't say anything, and instead traced Jack's gaze to the color around them. "Well, shit. Would you look at that." The two men chuckled at Gabriel's reaction before he took Jack into a tight embrace.

Jack just smiled and relaxed in Gabriel's arms. As much as he wanted to stay there forever, the lights in the banquet hall were beginning to flick off, the telltale sign that they should get inside before it's pitch black. "We should head inside. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"Sounds good, Morrison." Gabriel brought himself to his feet before taking Jack's hand and helping him up as well. They gave each other one last smile before heading their separate ways to their dormitories.

*********

"Cute," Angela remarked before adding, "though I'm surprised you remember it in that much detail, given how shitfaced you were."

Jack just shook his head. "You need to give me more credit."

The two laughed a bit before diving into a discussion about the many colors around them, and Jack felt content with himself. He could now relax knowing that the people he cared most about were whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is an amazing holiday. Also, Jack and Gabe are very gay for each other.
> 
> Thank you all for over 200 hits and 30 kudos in less than 3 days! It means a ton to me :D Enjoy the new chapter!


	3. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roadhog and Junkrat fuck shit up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow: Mako Rutledge (Roadhog) x Jamison Fawkes (Junkrat)  
> TW: Mentions of major violence/death (of background characters) in this chapter. The depictions don't go into a ton of detail, but it's compliant with their canon.

Roadhog was a man of few words. Even before the radiation that overtook his domain and caused his voice to be shot, he was always the quiet type. He was quite temperate and reserved, but still ready and willing to kill a man at the drop of a dime if he felt like it. Despite being quiet in nature back when people knew him as Mako, they generally feared his presence due to the fact that he was quite the behemoth of a man. Standing at 7'3", he easily towered over literally every human he encountered. In addition to this, he was also quite paunchy, his massive structure packed with toned muscles that were more than enough to intimidate anyone who rubbed him the wrong way.

When he was younger, Mako was forced to sit back and watch as his homeland was devolved into an apocalyptic wasteland due to the massive amount of radiation that deemed his domain uninhabitable by human standards. Australia was never on amazing terms with the omnics, even after the government tried to gift them the Australian omnium, due to the fact that the omnics sheer existence was enough to stir relentless controversy within countless civilians who were still disgruntled at the fact that their country was nearly completely destroyed. It also didn't help that by gifting the omnium to the omnics, Mako and countless other hard-working citizens were displaced from their homes permanently. This lead to the violent rebellion that, in turn, eventually caused the fusion core explosion that irradiated his former home.

Following the disastrous explosion, Mako was a completely different man - losing his home changed him forever. During the rebellions, he picked up the nickname 'Roadhog', but after the explosion, he decided to drop the name Mako completely, henceforth only being known as Roadhog. He left his old life behind and went forward to become a ruthless killer.

The one question Roadhog always got asked, aside from why he doesn't talk much, is why he never removes his gas mask. "Radiation," he would often answer, as this was the simplest way to give an explanation without needing to say many words. However, the more detailed reason would be the fact that he inhaled a lot of the radiation and it ended up ruining his lungs. The mask has built-in inhalers that regularly dispense Hogdrogen into his body, a chemical mixture to combat the effects of the radiation, and allow him to continue breathing. If the mask were to be removed for a prolonged period of time, his lungs would eventually give out and he would, unfortunately, succumb to the damage.

Despite his home being destroyed, Roadhog still decided to linger on his farm and settle down there. With his farm being on the outskirts of Junkertown, he was able to stop into the desolate settlement so long as he left any weapons behind. Because of this, he would often find himself in Junkertown for various goods and necessities, such as food, beer, and of course extra canisters of Hogdrogen for his mask. He never really cared for the Junkers - in fact, he would even go as far as to say he despised them - but recognized that he needed to take advantage of what resources he did have access to. His frequent trips to Junkertown eventually lead to him meeting Jamison Fawkes, who Roadhog later came to know as 'Junkrat'.

Roadhog, for the record, thought Junkrat was a fucking idiot - he also made sure to let Junkrat know this on multiple occasions. Junkrat didn't seem to mind, though, as he was always in his own little world, tinkering with various bits of scrap he found around the area and using them to make explosives. That was his whole deal, Roadhog came to learn - explosives. When he first met Junkrat, the young Junker was missing an arm and a leg - something which Roadhog assumed had something to do with some explosives gone wrong. Again, though - Junkrat never seemed bothered by this. He was always in such a god damn good mood, and Roadhog just couldn't possibly understand why. I mean, shit, if he were a smelly little Junker missing two core limbs and had the IQ of a rodent, he sure as hell wouldn't be this happy all the time. Nevertheless, Junkrat's seemingly relentless and crazed joy never faded away.

The two spent a while getting to know each other, Junkrat learning to understand and decipher Roadhog's simple grunts and subtle head and shoulder movements, eventually being able to fully communicate with him despite his limited vocals. They also very quickly learned how violent the other one was - something which both helped them get along better, but also caused arguments to become quickly heated, usually resulting in Roadhog hooking Junkrat or Junkrat throwing various objects at Roadhog. Despite their altercations, however, they found that they were quite the power duo and that they worked really well together. They used this synergy to their advantage and decided to take on the world headfirst.

The first step to taking on the world, Roadhog decided, was to, in his own words, "fuck shit up" in Junkertown. The first step to this would be to discreetly sneak into the Queen's protected vault and steal all of her cash for them to use on the road. Unfortunately for Roadhog and Junkrat, there was absolutely nothing discreet about them. Junkrat blasted the door of the vault off and incapacitated the many security guards that were stationed around it while Roadhog shoveled as much money as he possibly could into several duffle bags. He slung the overfilled bags over his shoulders and grabbed Junkrat by the scruff of his neck before he could cause any more damage or draw any further attention to them, both of them somehow making it out completely unscathed. Once they had the money, they decided they wanted to cause a little bit of mayhem before leaving Junkertown behind forever, so they went to the popular local pub and started a fight for absolutely no reason. Chairs were thrown, bottles of alcohol were smashed (and stolen for the road, of course), bodies were dropping like flies as people were knocked unconscious by the hijinks. The two delinquents also managed to escape from the brawl with no real injuries to speak of, mostly due to sheer, dumb luck. The final step, which was Junkrat's idea, was to completely decimate the Queen's summer shack. Roadhog, having previously watched his home get destroyed from the omnium explosion, was more than willing to help out with this plan.

The two were easily able to locate the Queen's summer shack and quickly made haste of the guards surrounding it - however, not before they weren't able to call for backup reinforcements. Within moments of the two men incapacitating the guards that were already at the shack, more and more security personnel arrived - suddenly making things a lot more difficult.

"Stop now!" One of the guards bellowed from across the field, but to no avail as Junkrat just laughed maniacally and fired frags at him from afar. Bodies were launched into the air and scattered around the shack as Junkrat reloaded his frag launcher and kept shooting. It being clear that they were not going to be heeding the guards' warnings, the security started shooting at them from all directions.

Roadhog cackled as he hooked one of the guards. "Grounded," he smugly remarked before shooting the guard with his scrap gun. He tossed the limp body to the side and repeated the process on several more guards. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"I'm workin' on it, mate! I can only do so much!" Junkrat hastily replied as he continued to fight off their attackers, more of them already on the way to the scene. "Can't plant explosives and fight off these dipsticks at the same time, now can I?!"

"Just hurry!" Roadhog knew they were running out of time before the two men would be completely overwhelmed. "We need to go!"

Junkrat finished off the last guard near him before sprinting to the shack and planting his homemade explosives delicately around the foundation. He drew the fuse out a few meters and shot a quick glance over at Roadhog, who knowingly nodded and braced himself. "Time to make things explodey!" Junkrat maniacally cackled as he lit the fuse, beginning to run away from the target area. However, before the two men could make their grand escape, they were completely surrounded by armed forces who were called to the Queen's shack.

"God damn it!" Roadhog shot wildly at the troops surrounding them with his scrap gun, but it was no use. They were being completely overrun. He resolved to fight until his last breath, and so kept pushing forward despite there being no clear way to reach safety.

This continued on for a few moments until suddenly the world around them shook, a thunderous _**BOOM**_ being the only thing anyone could hear. Roadhog and Junkrat were blasted back, as well as the troops that had enclosed them. Roadhog tumbled and rolled several meters away, Junkrat shortly after landing on top of him with a painful thud.

Roadhog blacked out for a brief moment before awakening once more, his eyes slowly adjusting to the world around him. He saw the smoke billowing from the remnants of the shack and the yellow flames that surrounded it. Wait, yellow flames? What the fuck? Roadhog took another moment to orient himself before finally looking down and seeing Junkrat's body sprawled across him. "Why..." Before he could dwell on it too long, he rolled Junkrat off of himself and shakily rose off of the ground. "Get up."

Junkrat was also incredibly disoriented by the blast, his ears still wildly ringing. All he saw when he regained consciousness was Roadhog's belly, which seemed to have slightly more pigment to it for some reason? As he was rolled off of the larger man, he took a look back at his glorious job done when it clicked for him - there was color. The flames flashed bright yellow and orange, their getaway bike that was stationed further back sported a coat of bright yellow paint, the stray hairs that were singed off of his head were yellow. "What the fuck mate?!" He asked in confusion, but he still couldn't even hear himself. He just shrugged and gathered their weapons and belongings that were scattered by the explosion, tossing them in the sidecar of the bike. He and Roadhog made a break for it before the guards could get themselves back up.

Hours later, the two were speeding down an abandoned highway, having sat in silence ever since they escaped Junkertown. Both recognized that they had many things to talk about, but needed to come off of their adrenaline highs and regain proper hearing. Unfortunately, their ears were still slightly ringing, but not nearly as bad as before.

"So," Junkrat began loudly from the sidecar, "it's you, huh Roadie?"

Roadhog just shook his head in disbelief and brought the bike to a slow, pulling off to the side of the highway before rolling to a complete stop. He got off the bike and walked around it, taking Junkrat into a quick embrace as he approached the sidecar. Junkrat was confused by the notion but happily returned it. After Junkrat finally let go, Roadhog immediately made his way back to the other side of the bike and hopped back on, starting up the engine again and taking off.

"Is that all you had to say then?"

Roadhog just chuckled softly and briefly turned his attention to Junkrat, long enough to respond with one word: "Idiot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEEEEEEEEEEEEE it's 2 in the morning as I write this and I need sleep but I promised myself I'd update both of my fics today! Hope y'all enjoy :D


	4. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji has always struggled with internal conflict. After finally finding peace and settling to go help Overwatch when the world is in its most dire need, he meets his soulmate - but why can they not see the color green?

Genji Shimada had quite a bit of history with Overwatch.

After being nearly killed by his own brother, Genji was left on the brink of death until he was rescued by the organization. Overwatch offered to rebuild him, giving him a new cybernetic body that would enhance him and the previous ninja training he had received under his father during his time in the Shimada clan, in exchange for his help in the organization. Genji, still clinging to life by a thread, agreed, and the work began. Dr. Angela Ziegler was set to be Genji's primary caretaker, as well as the one engineering his new body. During this time, the two bonded a lot and formed a strong friendship. Many of their colleagues would joke about how they were meant for each other, but they both knew from day one that it just wasn't the case. Still, their relationship with one another was still plenty friendly and well-maintained.

Once his cybernetic body was fully applied to him and he had plenty of time to learn how to properly utilize it, Genji was ready to go into the battlefield. He was sent on numerous missions with some of his fellow Overwatch colleagues, including Angela a few times. He was also eventually recruited to Blackwatch, the black-ops division of the organization which was led by Gabriel Reyes. Genji was a core member of Overwatch for many years until he became repulsed with himself, with the mechanical parts of his body. He couldn't view himself as a whole man anymore and waged a war within. After everything they'd been through and everything the organization did for him, Genji ultimately decided to abandon Overwatch in search of meaning for him and his life.

Genji wandered the world in search of inner peace. It was during this time that he met Tekhartha Zenyatta, a monk omnic who would later become Genji's mentor. Zenyatta was incredibly wise and persistent, eventually persuading the ninja to be at peace with himself and who he was, finding solace in his newfound strength as the world around them was devastated by Talon and Null Sector. For the first time in his life, Genji truly felt _free_ , and the feeling of being free was exhilarating. However, while he was free, he was still not _complete_.

"Master," Genji began, pouring himself a cup of tea while addressing Zenyatta, "what if I do not find my soulmate?" The question was asked with a hint of nervousness, Genji's eyes darting back and forth between the freshly-poured cup of tea, and the omnic hovering behind him. "Surely I cannot be alone forever?"

Zenyatta took a moment to consider the question before confidently responding, "Genji, you know that not everyone finds their soulmate. But that does not make them of any less worth. You are still whole regardless of whether or not you find your soulmate. We are all whole in the Iris." If Zenyatta could smile, he would reassuringly. "The outcome is not preordained. You have time, just like you had time to rediscover yourself."

A swift nod was all Genji responded with upon absorbing this advice. He apprehensively drank his tea and let his mind dwell on Zenyatta's words.

The ninja and the omnic had many conversations like this, Genji always seeking wisdom and advice from the latter and Zenyatta always eagerly dispensing it. The interactions were always the same, none unlike the last until suddenly Genji was faced with a big decision.

Genji paced the floor, walking back and forth with timid steps. He took several minutes to process his thoughts and formulate his words before finally breaking the silence in the room. "Master, Overwatch has issued a recall. What should I do?"

"What do you feel like you should do?" Zenyatta questioned.

"I... am not sure. I know the world needs help, more now than ever. But I abandoned Overwatch. If I hadn't left, I would've never met you. I would've never accepted myself. But in order for me to have gotten to this point, I had to leave them in their time of need. The world deserves Overwatch, but I don't deserve being a part of it." His voice was shaky but desperately trying to remain stoic as he awaited the omnic's response.

Zenyatta shook his head. "Genji, you are a strong individual. I agree with you that the world needs help. If Overwatch sent out a recall that reached you, then they do think you deserve to be a part of it," he reassured Genji. "They need you."

"But what about you?"

"What about me? The Iris will continue to lead and guide me. I'll be okay."

"I..." Genji stopped pacing and faced the omnic. "Thank you, master. For everything." He bowed his head at Zenyatta, a gesture that was eagerly returned.

"Go, Genji."

"I will."

*********

And go Genji did, rejoining Overwatch with the wisdom that Zenyatta imparted upon him. The world was still apprehensive about the organization, which meant they had to operate undercover for the time being, but Genji was just glad to be a part of it once again - especially since it meant he was reunited with his old buddy, Angela.

"You seem well, Genji." Angela smiled softly at the younger man.

Angela was right, Genji was well. "I am a different man now," he responded confidently. "I am whole."

"I am glad to hear that. How are you finding Overwatch now that you are back?"

"It is... comforting. I am glad to have been accepted back into Overwatch, and glad to have the opportunity to help the world. It is nice to get to see some familiar faces. I am... not used to the new agents yet, but I suppose in time they will grow on me." Genji shrugged and chuckled a bit.

"Speaking of new agents," Angela began, "we are bringing on a new agent today. His name is Lúcio." She smiled eagerly at Genji.

"I see." He pondered for a moment before giving a more proper response. "I suppose I shall meet him soon."

Not much longer passed before Lúcio arrived at Gibraltar and was settling into his new dorm. He had opted to drop off all of his belongings in the dorm first before being formally introduced to anyone other than the select few who helped with his initial arrival. He took a moment to just sit on his bed and relax before a knock on his door drew him back to reality. Lúcio dragged himself off of the comfy bed and opened the door, where he was greeted by none other than Lena Oxton, or Tracer as he had come to know her.

"Hey there love," Lena greeted Lúcio enthusiastically with a quick embrace. The sudden burst of energy was unexpected and startled him a bit, but Lúcio returned the gesture regardless. "How's everything?"

"It's all amazing! I'm just a bit burnt out is all," Lúcio responded with a chuckle. "Long flight."

"I hope the flight was okay though... oh wait, of course it was! I was the pilot!" Lena giggled at herself before continuing on. "I hope you've settled down a bit, but I've gotta give you a tour of the facility and introduce you to some of the agents you'll be working with. Best to do it now before it gets too late, so c'mon!"

Before Lúcio had a chance to properly respond, he was being dragged out of his dorm by the arm and rushed down the hallway, Lena excitedly giggling with every step. He wasn't really sure how one person could harness so much energy but decided not to question it for now.

Their first stop was the medical wing, overseen by Angela. "Alright, love, this is where you'll be spending a lot of your time so I figured it should be the first place I show you. Welcome to the Gilbraltar medical wing!" Lena smiled with pride at the high-tech facility before them. The monitors used to track patients' health were created with technology far more advanced than Lúcio had ever seen before, and his initial reaction of shock and confusion didn't seem much of a surprise to Lena. Adjacent to the main medical center was a laboratory where Angela conducted several tests and experiments with her medicine, mainly utilizing the nanobiotic technology she had utilized all those years ago back in Overwatch's glory days. In the laboratory was Angela herself, tinkering with a few vials of a shimmery liquid. She appeared to be accompanied by... an omnic? No, a man wearing armor, Lúcio realized as Angela shed some of the metal casing around the man's arm. "Oi, Angie! I'd like you to meet our special guest!" Tracer shouted into the room.

"Come in," Angela said, not looking away from Genji. She had set the vials off to the side and began examining his arm, curious to see how her nanites had held up after all these years. She was delighted to see that Genji's scars had become nearly invisible thanks to the nanites that were injected into his body when he was first brought into Overwatch all those years ago. "Just giving Genji a quick check-up is all."

"Gosh, Angie, always so busy!" Lena remarked before dragging Lúcio into the room with her. "Angie, Genji, this is Lúcio, our newest recruit!" Lena gestured to him, showing him off as if he were some grand prize.

Lúcio was used to being the center of attention a lot of the time due to his career in music skyrocketing, but it still made him feel a bit weird from time to time. He stood there and awkwardly smiled as he was introduced to the two agents before him. "Hello hello!"

"Greetings," Genji began, holding his freed arm out for Lúcio to shake his hand as he continued, "I am Genji." Despite him wearing a mask and Lúcio not being able to see, Genji still offered the younger man a warm smile. Lúcio took his hand and enthusiastically shook it.

"Pleasure's all mine..." Lúcio began before trailing off. Suddenly, the room around him began filling with colors. He could see the red accents in Angela's uniform, the orange of Lena's jumpsuit, the yellow liquid in the vials, the blue and purple undertones of the laboratory lighting... but there was still gray. No, that's not right. Where's green? Lúcio was sure he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Lúcio, are you alright love?" Lena asked with genuine concern upon seeing his face. He seemed so... _out of it_ , she thought to herself. What could've possibly just happened to illicit that react- oh. Almost as soon as she began wondering about what she had just witnessed had it clicked in her. They were _soulmates_ , Genji and Lúcio. He was seeing color for the first time! What a wonderful feeling that must be, getting to see all of the colors around-

"Why is there still gray?" Lúcio asked.

What? There's still gray? What could he mean? "Well, love, a few things still are gray, not everything is colorful-"

"No... I mean... there are things that I can tell are supposed to be green. But I can't see green."

"Perhaps you are colorblind, soulmates aside?" Angela suggested.

"No, I can see red, yellow, orange, blue, purple... just not green..."

"I also cannot see green," Genji said as he finally found his voice. "I know my body has green accents. I have been told this countless times. But I cannot see the green for myself."

The four agents stood there, frozen in time. They were all completely stupefied at the situation that had unfolded before them. Never before had any of them heard of something like this, where two people found each other but couldn't see all the colors.

"We can, uh, continue the tour and introductions later," Lena said, excusing herself. "I'll let you lot talk about things." Before anyone could respond, Lena had blinked out of the room.

"So..." Angela began, albeit very hesitant on how to proceed, "you both can see most of the colors, just not green?" She looked up at the two men, both of whom were still staring at each other, their hands still in each other's grip.

By this point, Genji had used his free hand to remove his mask, allowing Lúcio to see his face for the first time. Genji's face, unlike most of the rest of his body, still had very noticeable scarring from where the deepest wounds that the attempt on his life left were. Lúcio was able to see the absolute confusion and disappointment in the man's eyes. Unable to form proper words or sentences, still completely shocked, both men simply nodded back towards Angela.

Angela spun around in her chair for a moment, sighing and resting her cheek on her hand. "Hmm..." She had never seen or heard of anything like this before. She couldn't possibly think of any medical reason for this, but maybe some other doctors can. She spun back towards her computer and began searching for articles online that would maybe provide more information, perhaps from other people who encountered the same issue. After a few restless minutes of clicking and scrolling, she turned back towards the two men stood before her. "I... think I know what the issue is, and how to fix it, but..."

"What is it?" Lúcio almost immediately interjected, unintentionally cutting the doctor off. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I just-"

"I know. I'm sure it's nerve-wracking." Angela offered Lúcio a reassuring smile before continuing with her previous statement, "some people have more than one soulmate."

Genji and Lúcio looked at each other, then back at Angela, their expressions of utter confusion not showing any signs of going away. "What does that mean for us?" Genji finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"It means that in order to be able to see every color, you need to find your third soulmate. Both of you share the same soulmates, and whoever the third one is will be in the same situation - if they only touch one of you, they will not be able to see green." Angela let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding before standing from her chair. "I'm sorry. This occurrence is extremely rare, and I know it is not ideal for either of you. I'll give you some time to process." She gave both of the men a reassuring pat on their shoulders before heading out of the laboratory, leaving Genji and Lúcio by themselves.

"So... now what?" Genji asked, hoping Lúcio magically knew the answer.

Lúcio just shook his head. "I don't know," he said, shattering Genji's previous hope. "But, I do know one thing."

"And that is?" Genji's head perked up.

"You are my soulmate. Er... one of my soulmates. And I'm incredibly happy to have found you. I was starting to think I never would."

Genji burst out in laughter at that comment. " _You_ were starting to think you wouldn't find your soulmate? I am older than you, I am sure of it! _I_ myself was starting to lose hope!" Both men laughed, and for the first time since discovering the news, shared genuine smiles with each other.

"I don't know where we'll go from here, Genji, but I'm happy we've made it this far together."

"Agreed."

The two men took each other in a quick embrace before departing from the laboratory.

*********

Several months passed since the initial discovery, and Genji and Lúcio still had not found their other soulmate. Since then, however, the two had gone on several dates and spent a lot of time getting to know each other better. They had formed a proper relationship and confidently referred to each other as boyfriends. Both of them were happy, but also both felt a shred of emptiness at not being able to see all of the colors. Others around them knew it was a sensitive subject, so they chose not to bring it up.

It was another day at the Gibraltar headquarters where neither Genji nor Lúcio were doing field missions, instead being left to their own devices within the base. They spent a good portion of the day relaxing in Lúcio's dorm, preparing for a date they had scheduled for later in the evening when a knock at Lúcio's door drew their attention away.

Lúcio got up and answered the door, and was greeted by Lena - but she wasn't by herself. She dragged along some man with her, a man that Lúcio had never seen before. "Hey there, Lena. What's good?" Lúcio greeted her enthusiastically, bringing her into a quick embrace which she eagerly returned.

"Heya love, is Genji in here too?" Lena asked, to which Lúcio nodded. "Get him over here, there's someone I want you both to meet!" Lúcio shot a look back at Genji and gestured him toward the door, to which Genji rose to his feet and accompanied Lúcio. "This is our newest medic, say hello to Baptiste!" She shuffled to the side, allowing Baptiste to step forward and introduce himself.

"Hey," was all Baptiste said with a charming smile. He held out his hand, which Lúcio took into his own and shook firmly. Before Baptiste could say anything else or notice his surroundings, he was greeted with one word:

"Green."

Genji's head perked up. "What?"

"Green. Genji, I see green. I see it in your mask."

Baptiste looked completely dumbfounded. "I... can see colors! But..."

"Not green," Genji interjected.

Baptiste nodded his head. "Not green."

Genji took off his mask and gestured towards Baptiste's hand. "May I?"

Once again Baptiste responded with a nod, and Genji took his hand gently. He brushed the metal casing of his fingers delicately over Baptiste's hand before raising the hand to his own face, allowing Baptiste to gently stroke it.

Genji allowed Baptiste a moment to process everything before asking, "What do you see now?"

Baptiste looked at the mask which Lúcio had previously mentioned, and indeed saw the new tinge of color. "Green."

A huge grin took over Genji's face as he brought Baptiste and Lúcio into a tight embrace without warning. "Me too."

"Well, I suppose I oughta let you lads spend some time with each other! I'll be back another time!" Just the same as when Lena abruptly left when Genji and Lúcio first discovered that they were each other's soulmates, she once again blinked away before anyone could react.

Lúcio gestured for Baptiste to enter the dorm room, to which he happily obliged. "You know, we were going on a date later," Lúcio began eagerly. "Care to join us?"

Baptiste chuckled and flashed a grin at the two men before him. "I'd be delighted to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! life got kinda hectic in these past few weeks, between me working, turning 21 and dealing with (non-covid) health issues, i've been too exhausted to write either of my fics. i made this chapter especially long compared to previous ones, so i hope you all enjoy! i will try to get back on a more regular posting schedule now :)


	5. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse McCree is tired of feeling so god damn lonely.  
> TW: Really vague mentions of one night stands/alcohol abuse. Things get a little spicy towards the end but it's pretty short-lived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA SORRY I KNOW IT'S BEEN A HOT MINUTE SINCE I'VE UPDATED THIS ONE BUT THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FOR MONTHS SO HERE WE ARE

Jesse McCree was a simple man. There were few things he needed in life to make him happy - a good old-fashioned cigar, a pint of beer, some classic American cuisine, and of course, his trusty cowboy hat. There wasn't really much to him, and everyone around him knew it. However, despite his simple and sweet composure, he still had everyone all over him. He never really understood it, but he never exactly complained either. He loved the attention that he got and quickly grew used to being in the spotlight. However, there was always a certain emptiness inside of him - one he desperately tried to fill whenever he could.

McCree's coping mechanisms weren't healthy by any definition of the word. Some nights he would drink until he passed out and wake up with the most aggressive hangovers one could possibly imagine. His head would pound and he wouldn't remember a single thing from the previous night, no matter how hard he tried. Many of his friends tried to talk him out of it, tried to convince him to take better care of himself - but he never faltered, and in some cases, the constant pleading for him to stop would just drive him to drink even more. Some nights he would give in to the relentless flirting he received and have meaningless one night stands. He relished the physical contact, the rough touch of someone else, and longed for nothing more than to find his soulmate - someone who would constantly touch him like this. But every time, every god damn time, the other person just wasn't it - so he lost interest pretty quickly. He'd wake up in the morning, gathering his thoughts and remembering where he was before leaving without another trace.

None of this changed when McCree was basically forced to join 'Blackwatch', a subdivision of Overwatch, after a sting operation led by Gabriel Reyes in which he was given two options - either join Blackwatch or get locked up in a maximum-security prison for the rest of his life.

"Why the hell do you even want me?" McCree spat at the older man stood before him. "There ain't nothin' special 'bout me."

Gabriel drew a long breath and shook his head, looking down at the cowboy with disbelief. "You can't be serious right now. You must be joking, right?" The man pulled a chair over and sat in front of McCree, who had his hands tied behind his own chair.

McCree, to the best of his ability, shrugged.

"I've seen the way you can shoot," Gabriel took a moment to consider his words before continuing, "and we need someone like you. Lots of people can be good with guns, but you? You, cowboy? The best I've ever seen. Your skills would be invaluable to Blackwatch."

"Whatever. I suppose it's better than the alternative." McCree released a long, drawn-out sigh as his hands were untied and he was allowed to stretch. Knowing he didn't have any other choice, he trudged alongside his new commander and braced himself for the new life ahead of him.

Much to his surprise, McCree actually enjoyed being a part of Blackwatch. He definitely met a wider variety of people as opposed to when he was in the Deadlock Gang, his peers all carbon copies of one another. Deadlock was a lot more high-risk, high-reward type work - and part of McCree missed that - but he quickly found himself settling into the types of missions he was being sent on by Reyes. He met quite a few people while in Blackwatch, some of which he became pretty good friends with, such as Genji Shimada, one of the other Blackwatch agents. Of course, his personality couldn't charm everyone, and there were some people he just couldn't get on with - Dr. Moira O'Deorain, another Blackwatch agent, for one. He made sure to be incredibly vocal about just how much he didn't like Moira, but it didn't matter - he probably would've gotten along with even fewer people if he were in prison.

One of the first things that piqued McCree's interest when he joined Blackwatch was Genji - or, rather, Genji's cybernetic body. "So, Genji," he began, taking a moment to carefully consider his next words as to not offend the younger man, "You don't have to answer if you don't wanna, I know it ain't any of my business... but how did... 'this' happen?" He asked, boldly gesturing towards the cybernetic body before him. "You get in a helluva bar fight or somethin'?"

Genji shook his head, a slight chuckle coming from beneath his mask at the cowboy's confused interest. "It was my brother's attempt on my life. Back when I was in the Shimada Empire." Genji looked at McCree's expression, verifying that he was still following, before continuing, "I was a rebellious youth. I had no interest in carrying on the Shimada legacy. I preferred a more relaxed lifestyle. Unfortunately for me, that just wasn't something my brother could cope with." Genji trailed off, getting a bit lost in his own thoughts.

All that McCree could do was stare. It took him a long few moments to process what he had just been told. Genji's own brother tried to kill him because he didn't want to follow in the footsteps of his family empire? He shook his head and looked at the younger man. "Are you... like... okay?" He laid a reassuring hand on Genji's shoulder. He wasn't any good at comforting people, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't at least try. "I mean, that's... a lot for someone as young as us to go through."

McCree was once again met with a sly chuckle from the cyborg, a reaction which stunned him even further. "It was long ago, my friend. It is in my past." Genji let out a soft sigh, revisiting his silent thoughts from before. "I do not like what I have become because of it. I..." He gestured broadly at his cybernetic body, a look of pent up frustration building up under his mask. "This is not... me. It is not natural. Part of me wishes I were left behind instead of rescued. But it's no matter. I was given another chance at life, and I will live it to the fullest." Realizing what he just said, Genji shook his head once more and backtracked. "My apologies. That was... a lot."

All McCree could respond with was a lazy shrug and a simple "Shit happens".

And, well, he was right - shit happens.

*********

Life went on after that impactful conversation. Blackwatch operations continued to be conducted undercover - well, at least, for the most part. Everything was going just fine until one specific mission - deemed 'Retribution' - caused the public to lose their faith in Overwatch as a whole. Commander Reyes just couldn't keep his damn temper and killed one of Talon's highest-profile operators in a moment of pure spite and hatred. That day, Blackwatch's existence was revealed to the entire world, and operations had to cease.

Following Reyes' decision, he and Commander Morrison began fighting a lot more. McCree became distant from Reyes, not only because Blackwatch had to disband, but because he was livid with Reyes for putting their lives on the line like that. Being a part of Overwatch just wasn't the same anymore, and McCree would even go as far as to say that Reyes' decision was what marked the beginning of the eventual downfall of Overwatch as a whole, as soon after everything fully unfolded, Overwatch was disbanded.

And so here McCree was again, falling back into his old bad habits. Every night not spent evading authorities was spent bar hopping, getting mindlessly drunk just as he had back in the old days, this time without anyone to try and convince him to stop. He got back into the routine of having his meaningless one night stands again, chasing the high of the euphoric pleasure to distract him from just how lonely he was. It was like this many nights, and tonight was certainly no different - or, so McCree thought.

It started off as just another night in a random bar, McCree having ordered his seventh glass of whiskey, the six glasses before downed entirely too quickly. Given how rowdy McCree could get once several drinks in, many bar patrons chose to not sit near him, instead making as much space as possible between them. But tonight, for some reason, a random man decided to sit next to McCree at the bar. McCree, stunned that anyone would want to sit next to him in a state like this, watched the man as he ordered a glass of sake for himself.

"So, what brings you here?" McCree nearly slurred in his attempt to start a conversation with the man. He was met with a scoff and a clear look of disapproval before he was dignified with a response.

The man studied McCree carefully, trying to decide whether or not it would be worth it to try and converse with him. After reaching the conclusion that it wouldn't matter after tonight was over anyways, he went against his better nature and decided to indulge this... _creature_ with a conversation. "I am just a simple man looking for a simple escape this evening." Feeling the need to not dive further into the details, the man left his answer at that.

McCree, seeming satisfied with this response, held out his now cybernetic arm for the man to shake his hand. "Name's McCree." He flashed one of his signature smiles at the man, although this time a bit sloppily due to the alcohol.

Although hesitant at first, the man eventually took McCree's hand and shook it with a tight grip. "Hanzo." As the two men finished their brief introduction, the bartender approached them with their respective drinks.

"Sake, huh?" McCree asked, a smug look on his face. "You know, that stuff isn't half bad, but I prefer a little bite to my liquor," he said while gesturing to his glass of whiskey, before taking a large swig from it.

Hanzo just shook his head and chuckled a bit. "How predictable. Such unsophisticated taste." He took a more reserved sip from his own glass before setting it back down on the counter before them.

"Predictable? What's that supposed to mean?" McCree did his best to look dramatically offended, which received quite the amusing response from Hanzo, who thought he just looked stupid.

What started as an unlikely encounter turned into hours upon hours of conversation between the two men. They talked about everything from their personalities and their past lives to more mundane, generic things like their favorite animals or if they had any siblings. Of course, these topics were not met with many details, not to the dismay of either of the men.

Eventually, the bar had to shut down for the night, and neither man seemed to want to part from one another just yet. McCree, struggling to walk in a straight line, slung his cybernetic arm over Hanzo's shoulder as the two traveled aimlessly into the night.

"You know, I-I'm staying in a hotel not too far from here," McCree mused. "Whaddya say we head back and spend the night together?"

Hanzo, dumbly blushing at the implication, went against his better nature and agreed to the proposition. The two men staggered across a few blocks before reaching the hotel, hastily entering the elevator and beginning their ascent up to the floor where McCree's room was located. Once they reached the door of his room, McCree fumbled with his hotel key for a few moments before finally managing to unlock and open the door. Once they entered the room, Hanzo removed the bag that was slung across his shoulder and tossed it to the floor.

"What's in the bag?" McCree questioned, puzzled that he somehow never noticed the bag in the first place.

"Arrows," Hanzo replied simply. "I don't have my bow with me currently, but it never hurts to keep the arrows handy."

"You shoot?" McCree asked excitedly. "Well, now I've gotta have ya," he added to his excitement before throwing himself at Hanzo.

Both of their eyes closed, the two men began roughly kissing each other, teeth clattering and tongues making a mess, the smell of alcohol from their breath as strong as ever. Eyes still shut tight, McCree grabbed Hanzo's wrists and pinned them above his head against the wall, never once breaking their kisses. After spending just a moment roughly feeling him up, McCree began to blindly attempt leading them to the bed - the issue with this being Hanzo's forgotten, discarded bag in the middle of the floor causing both of the men to trip and fall backward onto each other.

This is what finally got them to open their eyes and actually take in their surroundings, except something was... different. There... there were colors. McCree darted his eyes down at that damned bag, taking in the deep blue hues of it. "What the fuck?" That was all he could manage to say in response to everything.

Hanzo rubbed his aching head, looking around the room that was now suddenly filled with colors. "I... we shouldn't continue. I want us to discuss this... but tomorrow."

McCree simply nodded his head in agreement, rising to his feet and grabbing Hanzo's hand to help pull him up as well. He led both of them to the bed before tossing himself completely onto the mattress, not bothering to remove any of his clothes. "Night."

The next day, both men awoke around the same time late in the afternoon. Typically, McCree would've completely forgotten what happened the night before, but the burst of colors that greeted him as he woke up served as a reminder and a vivid memory as to what exactly had occurred. He groaned in pain, rubbing his pounding head, before rising out of bed, Hanzo nowhere to be found. McCree was puzzled, and it would be an understatement to say disappointed as well, before the door to his room clicked and Hanzo entered with a tray of food. "Good morning, McCree."

"Mornin'."

Hanzo set the tray of food down on the nearby desk, choosing to sit down on the unmade bed. McCree took a seat next to him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doin' just fine." McCree responded before deciding he wasn't in the mood for small talk anymore. "So you and I... we're..."

"Soulmates," Hanzo finished.

"Well then," McCree began, "I suppose it's time for a more proper introduction." He held out his non-cybernetic arm for Hanzo to take this time, using his other hand to comb through his incredibly messy hair. "Name's McCree. Jesse McCree."

Hanzo smiled, gently taking McCree's hand in his own and shaking lightly. "Hanzo. Hanzo Shimada."

That made McCree pause for a moment. "Shimada, huh? You said you had a brother last night, didn't you?" Hanzo simply nodded before McCree continued, "Is his name Genji?"

Now it was Hanzo's turn to pause, the color flushing from his face as the name was spoken. "H-How do you know?"

McCree just laughed and pulled out his cell phone, pulling up Genji's number to send him a text:

**_MCCREE: genji youre never gonna believe what just fucking happened_ **


End file.
